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Auckland District Health Board
Support White Ribbon Day - 25 November 2006

Violence is a leading worldwide public health problem and the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) wants to bring this to the notice of Aucklanders as they drive past Auckland City Hospital from 23-25 November and see our ‘Ribbons of Light’.

‘Ribbons of Light’ are eight white ribbons draped across Auckland City Hospital’s support building, each ribbon lit in colour each night as the ADHB aims to raise awareness of the impact of violence and to encourage people to challenge each other on their attitude and tolerance of violence.

The White Ribbon concept was started by a men’s movement in Canada in 1991 and has been officially adopted by the United Nations as its International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.  ADHB is supporting the day but with a wider brief of raising the awareness of the impact of violence against patients, staff and their families and is distributing to all staff a white ribbon so that staff may choose to wear the ribbon to work on Friday, 24 November to show that they will speak out against violence.

In addition ADHB in conjunction with Preventing Violence in the Home organisation and Auckland Regional Public Health Service will have information displays and events at Auckland City Hospital to support White Ribbon Day.

Dr Janet Fanslow will be presenting ‘Women’s experiences of Family Violence’ on Thursday, 23 November 2006 at 12.00-12.30pm or 1.00-1.30pm (Level 5 lecture theatre, Greenlane Clinical Centre) and Dr Ian Hassall will discuss the ‘Impact of family violence on children’ on Friday, 24 November 2006 at 11.00-12.00pm (Clinical Education Centre, Level 5, Auckland City Hospital).

Dr Patrick Kelly, Clinical Director for Puawaitahi Child Abuse Service and ADHB violence-free spokesperson said the ADHB is currently heavily involved in working with the victims of child abuse and family violence. The ADHB is also working with key community agencies to change the culture of staff, and to identify immediate priorities for further intervention and prevention initiatives in family violence and child protection.

“We are establishing ourselves as a violence-free organization, which accepts that family violence is a serious issue in public health. It is no longer acceptable to minimise the effects of violence on our population, or to argue that it is not our problem” said Dr Kelly.

“Every day our staff, experience the effects of violence - patients who inflict violence, patients who are the victims of violence and staff who have to cope with the effects of violence in their own homes and communities,” said Dr Kelly

Denise Wilson, a survivor of family violence and Senior Lecturer in Nursing at Massey University, said family violence is endemic in our society and has devastating effects on the members of families and their communities and I am a survivor because of caring and concerned friends and work colleagues who spoke out, supported me, and importantly did not judge me when I knew I couldn’t act.

“It is time for those who know that family members, friends, colleagues and neighbours are being abused or hurt to stop turning a blind eye.  It is time to be genuine, non-judgemental and caring toward those in our communities who need it the most,” she said.

Best viewing time for ‘Ribbons of Light’ is from 8.30pm, 22-25 November or click on 'Ribbons of Light' to view image footage (Windows Media Player 4MB).

For further information please visit http://www.whiteribbon.org.nz or contact:
Preventing Violence in the Home
Holly Carrington
Tel: (09) 303 3938 ext 707
Email: hollyc@preventingviolence.org.nz

Starship Children’s Health
Dr Patrick Kelly
Tel: (09) 630 9952

Dr Denise Wilson, RN MA (Hons) PhD FCNA (NZ)
Senior Lecturer in Nursing (Māori Health)
School of Health Sciences – Auckland
Massey University
Phone 09 414 0800 ext 9070
E-mail: D.L.Wilson@massey.ac.nz

Ends

Fleur King
External Communications Manager
Auckland District Health Board

Phone: 09 630 9952
Fax: 09 630 9789
Mobile: 021 804 122